Etymologically
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bruma

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈbruː.ma][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈbruː.ma][1]

Forms

brūma f (genitive brūmae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is an old superlative of brevis “short”, *brevi-ma, *breu-ma, “the shortest (day)”, without the later superlative ending, like extrēmus.[2][1][3] Varro already explained it as the time when the day is shortest.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Terence, whom he dates 190–159 BC.[4] The OLD's first citation is Cato, of the winter solstice.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant the shortest day, the winter solstice, midwinter, as in Cato, Caesar and Cicero, and in astronomy the sun's position then.[2][5] It meant winter, wintry weather, as in Lucretius and Virgil, and in Martial a winter as a year of one's life.[2]

In Medieval Latin it meant the Saturnalia festival at midwinter, and winter.[6][7] The DÉRom reconstructs Proto-Romance */ˈbrum-a/ “winter; hoarfrost; mist”, continued in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese bruma and Romanian brumă “hoarfrost”.[8][1] Through French brume “fog” it gave English brume in 1808.[9]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.[4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of the winter solstice.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of winter.[2][4]
  • 1808 – English brume is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The winter solstice, midwinter.[2]
  2. Winter; wintry weather.[2]
  3. (poetic) A year (of age).[2]

Word family

  • brūmālis
  • brūmāria
  • brūmōsus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  8. ^ Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com